Defence Chief Visits Injured Soldiers
South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF) chief, General Siphiwe Nyanda today visited the four soldiers who were injured in an accident that killed two South Africans in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday.
The deceased and the injured were part of the UN peacekeeping mission in that country.
The two will be buried in Mmabatho and Zeerust on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
The injured are receiving treatment at the 1Military Hospital in Pretoria.
Speaking to BuaNews from his hospital bed rifleman Mpumelelo Kraai (38) said he would love to go back to the DRC as soon as he recovered from his injuries.
"I love my job and I would go back as soon as I have recovered," he said.
General Nyanda said the SANDF would assess the situation in the DRC to see if more advanced military equipment was needed.
"We always ensure that our soldiers are safe, their safety is our main focus," he said. "We cannot risk the lives of our soldiers."
In a statement after a meeting in Cape Town yesterday, Cabinet saluted the two South African soldiers who died.
It also welcomed the improvement of security in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reiterating the recent violence in the eastern town of Bukavu will not derail the peace process.
There are currently 1 400 South Africans troops deployed in various parts of DRC as part of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there.
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10 Juin 2004 à 16:38 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
